Pole of cold

Photographer Maxim Shemetov spent two weeks in the extreme environment of the Oymyakon valley in the Republic of Sakha, in northeast Russia. Here in the 'Pole of Cold', as it is known, the coldest temperatures in the northern hemisphere have been recorded. According to the United Kingdom Met Office in 1933 a record-breaking temperature of -67.8 degrees Celsius (-90 degrees Fahrenheit) was registered. Despite the harsh climate, people live in the valley, and the area is equipped with schools, a post office, a bank, and even an airport runway (albeit open only in the summer). 30 PHOTOS